Can’t you let you start 2012 without an easy and incredibly delicious snack recipe, now can I? Revival of the Italian cheese cookies. J-man was looking forward to these so much. He loved them and said they tasted a little like pizza as well.

Gave the recipe a few minor tweaks that made it even better. Added some water to make a smoother and more supple dough. Plus, I mixed the sun-dried tomatoes in with the butter allowing them to release even more of that wonderful sweetness and flavor. It also made for a wicked orange color.

Just make mini bites so you can pile them up high on new years eve! I bet your family and friends won’t be able to stop popping them!

Ingredients:

2/3 stick cold butter
1 cup flour
2/3 cup Parmesan (or other cheese)
3 small sun-dried tomatoes +1 tsp of the oil
2/3 tsp mixed Italian herbs
2 to 3 tbsp cold water

Directions:

Mince the sun-dried tomatoes. See, there’s that tsp oil! I meant business.

The Parmesan. Feel free to use sharp cheddar or even aged Gouda in stead. Had it not rained like crazy I would have gone out to buy the good stuff.

 
Nah, I wouldn’t have. I’m all for spur of the moment cooking/baking using whatever it is I have on hand. I was bummed I didn’t have black olives because I would’ve loved to add those as well.
 

The butter, straight from the fridge. Cube it and add it to your food processor.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and oil and the Italian herbs. Now blitz.

Add the flour and Parmesan and blitz a little more.

It’ll look quite grainy now. Add 2 to 3 tbsp cold water and blitz some more.

It should have turned it into a supple dough now.

Wrap it in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in the fridge for about 15 to 30 minutes.

I used a small ice scoop and turned the dough into 24… yeah, what exactly did I turn them into? Drops?

Whatever you name them, put them on a baking sheet you lined with parchment paper or a silpat.

 
Bake them in a preheated oven at 400˚F (200˚C) for 20 to 25 minutes (depending on the their size) until they’re golden brown and crunchy all the way through. Let them cool off completely.
 

Have a wonderful, happy, and safe New Years eve and a healthy and prosperous 2012, everyone!